MGS: DOA
by Alukhard
Summary: Metal Gear Dead or Alive Crossover fic. Takes place between Shadow Moses and MGS2, and after the third DOA tournament.
1. Prologue

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PROLOGUE

"…once you're in the compound we'll have to maintain radio silence. Even with the Codec I think they'd be able to trace any contact. These people definitely know their stuff." "Okay, Otacon, I got it, you said that a hundred times. I'm getting close now and your already breaking up. I'll call when I need an evac. Snake out." Peering through the trees, it was easy to spot the target destination. "I didn't agree to break into damn Fort Knox." muttered a deep, husky voice. As he watched the searchlights, he decided they must be automated, their pattern was so regular. 'I still don't understand how a private organization like this can fit into things', he thought, 'but it's the only lead we've got.'

By the time he'd infiltrated the air ducts, he realized that his line of work was becoming ironically routine. Glancing at his motion display, the office seemed clear. After the searchlight outside pierced through the blinds, the silent figure dropped into the room. As quickly as possible, Snake ducked beneath the camera in the corner. Reaching up, he placed a small device under it and snapped a wire into place. "Damn these things are useful." He though, smiling wryly. Snake then eyed the filing cabinets while the camera was fed a looping image of the room. After a quick lock pick, he rifled through the files and grabbed a folder marked "Heaven Reborn: Top Secret".

After skimming the first page, his eyes stopped. "Not again, damn it, not again…but why?" Snapping out of his shock, Snake continued to skim the documents. "Epsilon, what the hell is Project Epsilon?" Laying the documents out on the desk, he began to photograph them. He then returned them to the cabinet and started across the room, pondering. Stopping short, he listened, there it was again. As he realized someone was just outside the door, he glanced at the camera, the light on his device had gone out. "That is not good…" As the door slammed open, four armed guards came pouring through, four red lasers covering every inch of the room. One of the guards raised a radio, "The room is secure, there's no one here." Another guard saw the open grate and shouted, "He's in the vents!"


	2. Chapter 1

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CHAPTER 1

Brushing her hair out of her face, she frowned as she looked out the window… the barred window. "Must be another drill." Walking to the corner of the room as she spoke to herself, she sat in the shadowed chair. "They'll need all the practice they can get when I get out of here." As her eyelids fell she lapsed into the dream again, always the same dream. The concert hall was filled to the brim with the audience. She was singing loud and clear, she wanted so much to impress her mother. Her mother… She could feel it coming, she knew it was coming, but she couldn't stop it. She heard the first shot, felt it fly centimeters from her head. And then it happened, again. She was knocked aside, falling to the floor, and she looked up to hear the second shot… and to see the life leave her mother's eyes.

Helena awoke with a start, sitting upright in the shadows, calming herself the way she always did. The dream had become so familiar now. But something was different. She held her breath as she heard the grating of metal. Looking across the room, her eyes narrowed as a dark figure dropped from the vent in the ceiling. "What the…" came a deep confused voice. The man glanced down at a small holo-display, then at the bed, then back at his display. He chuckled and whispered to himself, "If these are prisoner quarters, maybe I should just get caught…" Leaping from her chair, Helena muttered, "Happy to oblige." as she lunged at the intruder. "What the…" was all Snake managed as a slippered foot came into contact with his jaw. Suddenly realizing he was under attack, Snake instinctively rolled aside and sprang to his feet. Before he had the chance to counter-attack, he found himself blocking as fast as he could. Desperately trying to think, he led his assailant away from the corner and used a chair as partial cover. Finally managing to sidestep an arm, he grabbed hold and spun Helena into a chokehold. About to snap her neck, he hesitated getting his first good look. "Calm down." He hissed, holding her arm behind her back with his other hand around her neck.

When she stopped struggling, he released her and pushed her away, drawing his pistol and pointing it straight at her head. "You scream and you die." They stood there for a moment, sizing each other up. Helena relaxed a bit. "I suppose I was mistaken. You could have killed me. You _are_ an assassin, aren't you?" Snake warily lowered his weapon. "Sometimes, right now I'd rather not be." There was a loud knocking at the door. Both of them shot a look at the door, then Snake moved toward the window. "You won't get out through there," Helena whispered, "believe me, I've tried. Get under the bed." "Excuse me?" He couldn't believe he was hearing this. "Just do it, or we're both in serious trouble." "I don't believe this." Snake cursed… as he rolled under the bed. There was a beep and the door opened, revealing a woman with white hair in a silver suit and several guards. Her eyes were about as warm as the air ducts, and twice as hard. "There's an intruder." Stated the woman, obviously in charge. "I was concerned that it might have been you." Helena returned the steady gaze. "I suppose now that you've barged in here your satisfied that it's not?" Snake could just see the doorway from his hiding place. As the lady guard smiled, he suppressed a shiver. "What happened in here?" Not missing a beat, Helena looked at the overturned chair, "Not that it's any of your business, but I was… dreaming again." "Oh, yes." Was the cold response, "Reminiscing about your mother, are we." Snake didn't know what was going on, but he knew rage when he saw it, and he thought Helena was doing a very good job of suppressing it. As she turned to leave, the silvery woman almost laughed, "Goodnight dear Helena… pleasant dreams." The door shut and the lock clicked. Snake couldn't believe his luck.

"They probably posted a guard outside the door, but they've given up trying to bug the room so it's safe to come out." As he crawled out from under the bed, he was no longer surprised that this woman had caught him off guard. While getting to his feet, he glanced at the door; "I've got some damn good questions right about now." "Ah, ah," she waved her finger, "me first. Who are you and why are you here." Snaked tensed up, "I don't appreciate interrogations." Helena simply smirked, "Well, seeing as how you're the intruder here _and_ I just saved your skin, I at least want those questions answered." "OK, fine, you can call me Snake" – "that's obvious" – he continued on, ignoring the interruption "and let's just say I'm on reconnaissance." "And I suppose your some kind of expert. Well, judging from the fact that they know you're here you've done a wonderful job so far." "Look," Snake scowled, "thanks for the help, I'm getting the hell out of here." He rose to look for an exit. "Not without me, you're not." Spat Helena as he passed her. "Excuse me?" Snake said for the second time. "There's no way," he began, "that-" "your going to get out of here without my help." she finished. "And there's no way I'm going to pass up this opportunity." After a short silence, Snake decided he'd better hear her out. "I swear, before the night is over I'm probably gonna kill someone." "You're probably right." She said as she stood up. "Now, if you don't mind turning around, I'm not about to make my escape in my nightgown…"

Meanwhile, the woman in silver and her guards finished making their rounds. She beckoned to one of the guards and took the radio from him. "This is, ahem, Viper reporting in." Upon releasing the button she added, "stupid codenames" under her breath. "Yes, go ahead." Came a slightly garbled voice. "We checked her room, he was there. She either was still asleep or isn't turning him in." "You saw signs of his entry, then?" "No." was her curt reply. For a moment there was nothing. "Well?" came back the now perturbed voice. "We didn't actually see any sign of him, but Helena was being more, well, restrained than usual. I didn't get so much as a return insult. My guess is she either knew he'd been there but didn't care to help, or she was actively hiding something." The reply was quick this time, "Then why the hell didn't you search the room more thoroughly?" "Will you relax?" she almost laughed, "I posted a guard in the hall, the windows are barred and we just electrified the vents. If he's still here, which I doubt, he's not going anywhere." For a moment, she wondered if she'd been hung up on. Then, "I don't know what your up to Christie, but this is no time for playing games. Just find him." "Yes, sir." She handed back the receiver. "You're right about one thing," she muttered, "you have no idea what's going on."

Now Snake was ticked, "What do you mean they probably electrified the vents? Do you have any idea how much power that would take?" Helena finished tying a bow in her hair. Snake called it a waste of time, but the last thing she'd need in a fight was her hair in her face. "I'm not an electrician, so no, I don't. But I'm guessing they've got plenty." "And what," he said sarcastically, "makes you say that?" She looked at him for a moment, sizing him up. "I thought you said you were recon. Don't people like you know everything about a place before you get there?" she smiled. "Very funny." He wasn't smiling back at her. "Well, then. For your information you're sitting on top of a power plant, nuclear I think." Snake's jaw dropped for just a split second. "I take back what I said before, now I'm definitely gonna kill someone… when I get back."

Standing outside the door, he didn't have a badge, no nametag either, just a gun. Leaning against the wall, he was flipping the safety on and off. Whenever a guard on rounds passed by, he would snap upright, but for now, he could care less about the regulations. When a knock came from within the door, he ignored it for a moment, hoping she'd give up. She knocked again. "This'll be rich." he muttered. He cupped his hand and mouth to the door, "Back across the room!" he half shouted. Removing the card from his pocket, he slid it through the lock and stepped back, raising his weapon. The last guy who let her escape only got a moderate beating from her, but no one had seen him since. As the door slid open, he saw that Helena was, indeed, across the room. "What is it?" Helena motioned to the vent in the ceiling, "I think I found a sign of the intruder." The guards eyes narrowed, "Don't move." As he entered the room, he kept his eyes on Helena. It had just clicked that she was fully dressed, but he never had a chance to react. Two hands reached out and cleanly snapped his neck. As Snake dragged the man into the bathroom, Helena stared at him. "You didn't have to kill him." "Easy for you to say," as he dumped the body, "anyone but a complete professional would point a gun at a beauty like you and hesitate. I don't have that luxury. Now if you're coming than let's go."

As they moved through the hallway, Snake periodically checked his motion sensor to make sure there were no unexpected surprises. He was impressed at how quickly Helena picked up on the simpler points of stealth. Granted, she wore a black suit, that much was easy, but she also followed his lead in ducking cameras, sticking close to the walls, and moving quietly. Only once did she break the silence, "You know, all this sneaking around stuff isn't really my style." Snake shouldn't have responded, but, "Yeah, well, Kung Fu isn't my thing either." "It's not Kung Fu, it's Pi Qua Quan." She said indignantly. "Shhh, later." Snake was quickly remembering why he worked alone. Helena, on the other hand, was enjoying herself immensely. In all her plans to escape, she never imagined it could go so smoothly. The guard's keycard came in handy several times over, and the halls were nearly deserted. As they exited the building, though, it was obvious where all the guards went. The compound outside was fairly large, and it was crawling with guards. Snake gravitated toward a hiding spot, and instinctively started counting. "Let's see, four guards per tower, two lights each, automated. Dogs in the center compound, and, wow, there's gotta be a guard every five feet around the perimeter." Helena didn't look so happy now, "How are we supposed to get past that." Snake was the one smiling now. "Murphy's Laws of Combat Ops #27: Fortify your front and you'll get your rear shot off. See that over there," he motioned to a bunker looking building with a forklift outside, "that'll be a weapons depot." "How do you know th-" "Because the sign on the side says so." Helena hadn't even seen him pull out the small binoculars. "We're gonna use the oldest trick in the book, a diversion. Stay here, when the coast is clear I want you to run over to those crates near the fence, I'll meet you there."

Without waiting for an argument, he set off along the building's edge. Helena couldn't believe she was seeing this. He'd get caught for sure _if_ he could even get to the depot. She watched him move, stop, move again, but she lost sight of him as he went behind some tires. "This is crazy," she muttered, "I feel like I'm in one of Tina's stupid movies." After a moment, she caught sight of him again, but, "I knew he wouldn't make it." She thought. He was moving away from the bunker now. She saw him stop and remove a small device from his vest. He caught site of her, and pointed at the crates where he'd told her to run, and depressed a small switch. The compound was suddenly lit up like dawn had come racing in. Helena was stunned by the site as she watched the large building explode again and again. Guards were running everywhere when someone grabbed her arm, "Damn it I told you to run, now RUN!" She suddenly realized that all the guards by the fence were charging to the other end of the compound to deal with the blaze. Snake charged toward the fence, still holding her arm. As they reached it, Snake ducked behind the crates, whipped out bolt-cutters and began making a hole in the fence. Helena was nervously glancing around when a shot rang out. "I think they saw us, hurry up!" "Done!" he shouted, pushing her through the hole. More shots rang out as they charged into the pine trees. Snake put a hand to his ear, "Otacon, where the hell is that evac? Otacon? Hey! Anybody there." Otacon's familiar voice came in load and clear. "I hear you buddy, evac en route, you know the place." "Good, we're on our way." "Wait a minute, Snake, what do you mean we?" He turned off the codec. "Sorry buddy," he muttered, "I'll explain later."

Meanwhile, the sound of the motorcycle pierced through the woods. Christie pulled up to a tree behind the clearing dismounted, readying a sniper rifle. "Just in time." She thought as a chopper began descending into the clearing. As it landed, Snake and Helena came running out of the tree line opposite from her. "Gotcha." She raised the rifle and drew a bead on Snake. As he stopped to heft Helena up into the chopper, she targeted his head, "Say goodnight handsome." A shot rang out and Helena screamed. Snake looked into the clearing, then jumped into the chopper. "Thanks." He said curtly to the man in the craft. Christie cursed, rubbing her hands; she looked at her gun, which was mangled by the bullet that hit it. Furious, she stood and watched the chopper lift into the night sky, but caught a look at a familiar smirk under a red beret, "That's the second time you've gotten in my way." She was seething as she retrieved the gun, mounted her cycle, and headed back to base.


	3. Chapter 2

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CHAPTER 2

The pilot had returned to the cockpit upon liftoff, while Snake and Helena took seats in the back. A little winded, Helena stared out the window, "I'll never make fun of Tina's work again." "You say something?" started Snake. "Nothing, just thinking out loud. I wonder how long I can keep away this time." Snake watched her for a moment as she stared blankly at the clouds. "So," he tried to sound casual, "why were you there in the first place?" "Quite frankly," she turned to face him, "politics. My father once owned DOATEC, but since he died, the corporation has splintered. I can't prove it, but that particular sect was responsible for his death in the first place." 'It's a start.' Thought Snake, "Then why don't they just kill you, too?" "I don't know what kind of people you're used to dealing with Mr. Snake, but assassination is a risky business and best avoided whenever possible." "The people I'm used to," he replied, "are always too involved in high stakes to care." Snake still couldn't figure her out, but then, his relation with his "father" was completely different. "So where do you go from here, Helena?" She suddenly seemed as if she remembered something, "That depends. Where are _you_ going from here?" Snake shook his head, "I'm getting tired of saying this, but excuse me?" "Why were you sneaking around in there. I said before that I wasn't going to let an opportunity pass me by and I meant it. If you and your people know so much about DOATEC, then maybe you have the proof I need." Now it was Snakes turn to remember something, "Proof, I almost forgot. Look, we'll figure out what to do with you later." Snake rapped on the cockpit wall. After a moment, Snake heard the pilot say something to the co-pilot, then get up to come to the back.

As Helena got her first good look at the pilot, she nearly gasped. "Good evening Helena," the man smirked, "this is an unexpected pleasure." Snake thought Helena looked much like a fish, her mouth opening and closing, and again he saw the pent up rage. "What," she spat "the hell, is he, doing here?" "Somehow I'm not surprised," Snake lied, "You two know each other?" Helena didn't say a word. "Yes Snake, Miss Helena knows me, in a way." Looking at Helena, he decided to explain a bit. "I was brought in because I know DOATEC inside and out. I don't know what Snake has told you, but I have my own reasons for deciding to help." Helena looked back and forth between the two men. Snake broke the silence. "If you'd like to rest, there's a seat back there that reclines a bit. Bayman here and I have some things to discuss." "If you don't mind, Snake," Bayman interrupted, "I'd rather you didn't use my name during this operation. We all have our little secrets." "OK fine, but 'hey you' is gonna get tiring real fast. You're not exactly a permanent member of the team, so what would you prefer?" "I think," he began, "Beowulf would be appropriate for-" "I can't believe this!" Shouted Helena, apparently coming out of her shock. "You're siting here discussing codenames with a damn murderer!" Snake shook his head, "This is gonna be a long flight."

"Get ready for landing." It was the first thing Snake had said to Helena since 'get in the back and get some sleep.' She hadn't slept a wink, but rose up to glance out the window. The sun had risen, but that wasn't the only change. "Um, Snake, that's the ocean." "Really," he smiled, "hadn't noticed." As Helena secured a buckle, confused, the chopper began descending toward the water. To her surprise, she saw a submarine come crashing to the surface. Even more surprising than its sheer size, a segment of the top opened to reveal a small landing bay. She began wondering about what she had gotten into as the overhead doors closed and the internal lighting came on. As Snake jumped off, Helena saw a man in a lab coat with wire rim glasses come jogging across the room. "What happened out there Snake? The thermal imaging went crazy just before you called in for a pick-up, there are reports of a forest fire coming in and- hello, what's this?" Helena had just climbed off the craft and Otacon found himself staring at her green eyes. "Down boy," muttered Snake as he passed by. "This is someone I picked up along the way." "You what?" said Otacon softly, clearly not paying attention. "Helena, Hal, Hal, Helena. There, you've been introduced." Snake added lower, "You can stop staring now." "Huh, oh, right." Helena was looking around the room and had just noticed the newcomer. "Um, pleased to meet you. Are you the one in charge?" "Me? No no, I'm kind of support, I'm an engineer. My names Hal, Hal Emmerich, but everyone calls me Otacon, you know, like otaku convention. I know it sounds kind of silly but-" Snake slapped him on the shoulder, "You're babbling Otacon. Come on, I'd like to get out of this sneaking suit." Otacon blushed, "Right, sorry. Um, I think we have a place where Miss Helena can stay until we, well, what exactly are we doing with her?" "Don't ask me," Snake sighed, "nobody tells me anything. Speaking of which, why the hell didn't anyone tell me that place was sitting on a nuclear plant?" At this point Bayman had disembarked. "You asked if we could cut the power to the place. I said 'no, they supply their own power.' What more did you want?" Otacon, decided to chime in and calm things down a bit. "Look, we'll discuss it at debriefing. Miss Helena, if you're feeling up to it I think you might be able to answer some questions."

Helena couldn't believe how fast everything was happening. Just last night she was still stuck at DOATEC and now she was sitting in on some kind of pseudo-military meeting with the people who had, unintentionally, broken her out. Snake was mad because someone who was supposed to be there was missing; they just said "the colonel." She answered a few questions about her conditions at the compound but couldn't really provide anything useful. When the discussion turned toward Snakes actual mission, however, she listened with interest. "The lead turned out to be a damn good one. Bayman was right, DOATEC has picked up the project, and now I know why." "Excuse me," Helena chimed in. "What project?" Snake explained to her that a rogue nation had once planned to wage war with a weapon called a Metal Gear, a bipedal tank with a sophisticated nuclear armament. Since then, the project had been renewed several times, but he had managed to destroy the weapons before they were launched. They had picked up on a lead that DOATEC had dealings with a new project and decided to check it out. Apparently, the rumor was correct. "The one thing that puzzled us was why DOATEC would bother with it." "But that doesn't make any sense," Helena sputtered, "I wouldn't put it past DOATEC to develop weapons, but that's not their style. They're usually more, well, subversive. They don't blow stuff up, they cut their enemies almost surgically." "Well, now we know." Snake continued his debriefing. "While I was inside I found file on a project called Heaven Reborn. I believe it's in reference to Outer Heaven, the original developers of the Metal Gear. However, the file also contained information on another DOATEC project. It was simply called project Epsilon." At this Helena froze. "I take it you've heard of the project? I'll go on for everyone else's sake then. Epsilon was designed to use genetic engineering to produce some kind of ultimate ninja." He paused to look around the room. "Sound familiar, Otacon?" "Of course." Otacon stood up and began pacing. "The genome soldiers in Alaska. But, it couldn't possibly be the same project, could it?" "No," Snake continued, "but apparently Project Epsilon was less than successful. Whoever is trying to rebuild Metal Gear would need a lot of resources, and DOATEC's got more money than half the world's nations. So, they made a trade. DOATEC was provided with priceless information about genetics in return for funding the construction of a Metal Gear."

Snake fell silent and Hal seemed stunned. Helena was looking between the two of them, then shot a glance at Bayman, who merely shrugged. "Um," said Helena quietly, "I'm guessing that this is something rather, well, important?" Otacon started to pace again, mumbling something to himself. "Are you alright Mr. Emerr… I mean, Otacon." She was worried that maybe he was having some kind of breakdown. "Alright?" he cried, "Alright? Do you have any idea what this means?" ""Well," she answered meekly, "no. I really don't." Snake gave him a stern look, "Sit down Otacon, you're not gonna like the next part." Otacon was still shaking, but fell back to his seat. "I'm not very good at softening things up so I'll just say it. They're using the "Rex" design." At this, Otacon fell quiet. "But… but that's impossible. Where did they… who knew… it can't be, NO! I won't let them use me, not again… not again." He stood up again and started towards the door, stopping with his palm on the handle. For a moment, he just stood there, shaking. "I'm sorry Snake, I did it again, didn't I?" He wiped his eyes of the growing tears. "I'm sorry, I won't fall apart again. I just… I'm gonna get some rest." With that he left the room. Bayman snorted, "What the hell was that about?" After Helena glared at him, she added, "I'm a bit confused myself. Did I say something wrong?" "No," grunted Snake, looking at the door, "I did, but there was no other way to put it. Otacon was the designer of Metal Gear Rex. He was told it was under development as a missile defense system. But he was used. Rex was designed as a mobile platform for launching nuclear weapons. Until now I almost thought he'd let it go. Just give him a little time, he'll be OK. In the meantime, I've got some more questions for you two." Helena felt sorry for Otacon, as she knew what it was like to be a corporate pawn. Bayman did as well, but was less sympathetic. "Anyone who designs something like that should expect it to be mis-used." "Look!" Shot Snake, "I said let it go. I owe my life to that man and you will not insult him in front of me, got it?" The two stared at each other, neither blinking. "All right Mr. Snake. My apologies, I will not bother him about it." He didn't sound very sincere, but Snake decided to let it go, for now. "There is a list of names, all Japanese. I need to know if either of you have heard of them having any connection to DOATEC." He flipped to another page and skimmed the document. "Here, the names are Kasumi, Hayate of the Mugen-Tenshin, Ayane, and Hayabusa." He looked up into Bayman's stunned face and Helena rolled her eyes. "I take it then you've heard of them." Helena was the first to answer. "Yes Snake, all of them. And if DOATEC needs them for what I think it would be in your best interest to find them. Quickly."


	4. Chapter 3

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CHAPTER 3

The river was beautiful today. The leaves had turned to golden brown, a perfect match for her hair and eyes. As she watched her reflection ripple in the water, her thoughts drifted, again, to the home she'd lost. She shook her head, as if she could clear her mind and start over. Then there was a sudden rustling in the bushes and in a blur of blue and hazel, she leapt into the nearest tree, her blade drawn. For a moment, there was no sound, no movement. As she peered through the leaves, her breathing became nearly silent, until she got her first look at her "assailant." A small pigeon came hopping from the brush. Relieved, the girl dropped again to the ground. She smiled and held out her hand, coaxing the tiny bird. As it flew to her hand, however, her eyes narrowed. There was a small piece of parchment tied to its leg. "It can't be for me." she thought, "No one knows I'm here. But still…" As she gently untied the note, she petted the bird, then sat it on a branch, where it waited patiently. The note was short;

"Kasumi-chan,

Tread with caution, an ill wind blows, do not reply, I will seek you out."

The Kanji symbol with which it was signed told her who it was from and that she must heed the message. "He worries too much," she said half to the bird and half to herself. "There has not been a day in my life without an ill wind for a long time now. Besides, he is foolish to even contact me, let alone seek me out." She once again held the bird for a moment, then raised her hand to set it in flight. It circled twice, then sped off to the North, toward Hokkaido, toward home. Her mind turned toward food, so she picked up a fishing rod and headed upriver.

Not too far to the North was another fisher, quietly enjoying the sun and the peace. His ears picked up the shrill call of a hawk and he glanced skyward. He sat, amused, as a small falcon circled above. But his amusement faded quickly when he saw it dive… and followed its path to a small pigeon. Acting quickly, he grabbed a small stone and leapt from rock to rock, crossing the river. For a moment he feared he would be too late, but the falcon missed on its first pass. As it climbed and circled back, he whistled and the pigeon veered towards him. As soon as the falcon came into its second dive, he flung the rock into the air, striking the raptor in mid-flight. As the larger bird abandoned the hunt, the pigeon landed square in his outstretched hand. When it landed he held out his other hand, which contained two different seeds. When the pigeon chose one he smiled. "Good," he said, pocketing the remaining seed, "she received it then…"

"Come on you two, the chopper is ready to go." Helena glared at Bayman again and strutted off toward the craft. "I don't understand, Snake," grumbled Bayman, "Why are we bringing her? I told you I can spot them on sight just as well as she could." "I know that." Snaked replied, clearly annoyed, "but it seems like everyone who knows you hates you. You're not exactly the most charismatic person on earth." "Piff," he grunted back, "look who's talking." "Listen Bayman, I don't like it any better than you do, I much prefer to work alone. But the fact is, she can help and at the moment she's got nowhere else to go." Otacon came running toward them, "Wait a minute Snake! She's here!" Snake climbed up to the deck and saw a small boat approaching the sub. "Good, I was wondering if she was gonna make it before we left." Helena, who had already boarded the chopper, saw him and yelled up, "What is it Snake?" "Tech Support." He yelled back without turning around, "And a friend." he added softly. A young, oriental woman docked the boat with the ship and began climbing the ladder. "Snake," she called, "It's good to see you again!" Snake let himself smile a bit, "Mei Ling, I was afraid you were out of touch." She suddenly became very serious, "Well, when I got your message I was in Hong Kong, so you'd better appreciate me coming _all_ the way here to Japan." She broke into a smile, "Besides, a wise man once said, 'a friend in need is a friend indeed." "Now that's the Mei Ling I remember. I hate to rush, but did you manage to get the stuff?" he asked. "Of course, Snake. I designed them. If I needed to I could have built you new ones." After getting help for her equipment, Snake introduced her to everyone. "She designed the codec and my Soliton Radar. The radar is a bit hard to come by, but she's provided us with some extra nanos and codecs. If we're separated, which will probably happen, we can stay in contact with these. She also came up with these." He held out some small earpieces. Mei Ling seemed particularly proud of them. "They are direct translators." She explained. "They can translate Japanese into English and vice-versa." "That's very clever," Helena said, examining the earpiece, "but I won't be needing one." "Neither will I." Bayman curtly added, "Can we just get the stuff and get on with it?" Helena glared at him, again, but Snake broke in, "No, he's right. We need to get moving. As soon as everyone has their codec, we'll take off." Helena and Bayman went down to the med-lab to receive theirs while Snake prepped the chopper. "Otacon, come here for a moment." "Yeah, Snake?" "Did you get a chance to have Helena's clothes scanned for bugs?" "Yeah. I, I mean we, well, when she had her shower we left her a robe and took her clothes to be scanned." "What's the matter then? You didn't find anything did you?" "Oh, no, nothing like that, Snake, it's just, well, she came down herself to get them back… in the bathrobe." Snake grinned at him, "Don't do that, Otacon. I thought it was something serious. I have to admit though, I can see why you were so worked up." Otacon went from red to scarlet.

Christie shifted her weight from one leg to the other as she stood in the dark. That was as close as she ever came to being nervous. "Let me get this straight." The voice came from behind a shadowed desk. "You've had a tracking bug on her for several days now." "That's correct," Christie sighed. "But," the voice continued, "it's not transmitting and you think they'll scan her anyway? Is that also correct?" "Yes, it is." There was a momentary silence, and Christie could hear the chair squeak. "Care to explain that?" Christie was about to say no, but bit her tongue, almost literally. "OK. One, the device is not transmitting because it hasn't been activated yet. Two, because it is inactive, she can be scanned again and again but it won't show up. And three, she must have been checked by now and I doubt they'll scan her again." There was a low chuckle from the dark. "My dear Christie, once again you've outdone yourself. Are you sure the beacon will remain with her?" "Are you kidding?" she smirked. "Have you ever seen her anywhere _without_ that stupid ribbon?"

"OK you two, listen up." The chopper was headed inland as Snake got their attention. "Helena, are you sure you don't remember anything else?" Helena smiled, "Have you ever tried to spy on a Shinobi? Personally, I'm amazed that DOATEC was able to capture two of them in the first place. All I know is that the Mugen-Tenshin Clan operates out of this region of Hokkaido." She pointed to the map on the floor. "Our best bet is to simply start looking and let them find us." "Ha!" Bayman more grunted than laughed. "Are you insane woman? We'd be dead before anyone said 'hello'. One-on-one they're not so tough, but if you think the whole clan is just going to let you waltz in for tea, you're crazy." "I suppose you have a better idea?" Helena was getting used to Bayman's gruffness, but still didn't trust him. He fell silent and pretended to study the map. "OK, fine, we let them find us." Snake was satisfied with that, "But that only takes care of this Hayate. What about the other three?" Bayman looked up, "That, I can answer. DOATEC may have tried twice with the Epsilon project, but the two attempts were not all that different. If I remember correctly, Kasumi is Hayate's sister so he must know where to find her. As for this Hayabusa, I believe he is part of the same clan. All I know about Ayane is that she has a mean roundhouse kick." Helena giggled, "You didn't do so well in the last tournament, did you?" "If I remember, Miss Helena, you did not win either." She stood up. "Unlike you I could care less about the stupid tournament. I was only there because I was… looking for someone." "Alright that's enough." Now Snake was standing as well. "We're almost to the landing site, I'm gonna report in." As Snake activated his codec, Helena and Bayman continued to glare at each other.


	5. Chapter 4

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CHAPTER 4

Sunset was upon the forest, tinting the world red. There were no roads, no trails, no paths and yet, there was movement. High in the branches, there was a rustle here, movement there, and an occasional leaf fell to the forest floor. As the silent runner leapt from branch to branch, even the rodents and the birds paid him no mind. He was as another creature of nature, not to be feared nor noted. He stopped in a large tree and cupped his hand to his mouth. Sounding like an owl, awaking for the night, he signaled his presence to the seemingly empty wilderness. He waited for several minutes, not stirring until another call rang out in the growing darkness. In a flash, he was off again. As he approached a ridge, he veered off towards a waterfall. Upon reaching its base, he began to scale the wall like a shadow… and then disappeared behind the raging water.

The torchlight within the cave revealed the man to be clad in black, with the slightest hint of armor beneath the wrappings of cloth. After a short distance, a hut blocked the small tunnel. He stopped at the door and knocked twice, then slid a small piece of parchment underneath it. The door quickly opened and he rushed through. There were two men inside, similarly clad. Who looked at him for a moment then stepped aside and opened the back door. With controlled urgency, he briskly left the hut and stepped out into an immense cave. So large was the cavern that a small village fit easily inside it, with a three story building at it's center. The last rays of day were fading from the natural skylight and, one by one, lanterns filled the room with light. As he passed the various buildings, he stopped frequently to bow to someone or allow someone else to bow to him, but he did not stop for more than a moment. As he reached the largest building, he nodded to the door guard, then stepped aside the door and kneeled, waiting. Though he ignored it, he could clearly hear the Japanese discussion taking place inside. "I don't understand!" The voice was clearly a woman but somehow less than feminine. "I discovered her location, you should have sent me!" "That's enough!" The second voice was deeper, male, and clearly in charge. "This behavior is exactly why you were not sent! You let your emotions cloud your mind! That is why you have lost to her time and again. You are lucky that you and she are not the same, or you would be dead thrice over! I cannot let you go because you are too close to her." "Then why send _him_? You don't think _he's_ too close?" "I said that's enough! And that is final!" Waiting outside, the ninja instinctively moved away from the door as a young woman came storming out of the building. He then calmly moved into the open doorway and bowed his head to the floor. The man inside watched as the girl stalked away until her purple hair faded from view.

He then turned his attention to the man at the door, gesturing to a cushion, "Come, Kage-san. What is your news?" The messenger took a seat and quickly bowed once more. "Hayate-sama, there is a small band of travelers seeking the Mugen-Tenshin." Hayate's eyes narrowed, "Go on." "They arrived on Hokkaido with a helicopter which reports indicate came from a submarine not far off shore to the West. There are two men and a woman. It is said that the woman and one of the men were contestants in that tournament with you. We do not know who the second man is, but he seems to be the leader." Hayate pondered this. 'Could they have sent someone so soon?' he thought. "Can you describe them?" "Hai, the woman was 5'7" with long blonde hair, possibly French. As far as we could determine, she is unarmed. The first man was just over six feet and wore a red beret with militaristic clothing. He has several small firearms, a large knife, and we believe a stiletto. The last man was similar height with short dark hair. His clothing was odd but also seemed militaristic. He seems to be armed only with one handgun and some sort of surveillance equipment." Again, Hayate sat for a moment, thinking. "I want you to take two men and capture them, alive." Kage looked confused, "Two Hayate-sama? Surely I could go alone and-" "Kage-san! I said take two men. Do not underestimate them, I have a feeling they may be… formidable." "Hai, Hayate-sama." Kage bowed once more, then headed for the door. "And Kage-san. Just because the woman carries no weapon, does not mean she is unarmed." Kage gave a last, short bow, "Understood." Hayate rose and slid the door shut, thinking aloud. "So, Helena and Bayman are seeking me out. If they think I'm going to be DOATEC's pawn again, they're sadly mistaken."

"Look Bayman," Snake was clearly annoyed. "You've been grumbling for the last hour. I told you we'd stay out here for two hours after sundown in case they decide to act at night. The sun just went down twenty minutes ago so get over it. Are you afraid of the dark or something?" "I still do not approve of simply hoping we are ambushed. It was a bad enough idea when we had a chance to see it coming but this is a deathwish!" Snake stopped and sighed, "Fine, I'll tell you what. We'll stop and make a fire. If they were gonna spot us they'd have done it by now so either they don't know we're here-" "Which I doubt." Helena chimed in. "Or," Snake continued, "They're just waiting to move. So we'll wait here for one hour, then head back to the ship." He saw that Bayman was going to protest again, "And that's Final!" Helena was a bit surprised. She'd never seen anyone actually succeed in shutting Bayman up like that. "Well," she stated, "I think I see a small clearing right over here." She began to make her way through the bush. "HELENA STOP!" Snake had suddenly yelled at her and she froze in mid-step. He then rushed up to her, grabbed her and lifted her off the ground, setting her behind him. "What was that for? What's wrong Snake? I was perfectly fine!" Snake breathed for a moment and then simply pointed down. "Take a good look at where you were about to step." Helena followed his finger to the ground, as did Bayman. "Snake," she said quietly, "there's nothing there." He wiped his face and sighed, then knelt down to the ground and gently pushed aside some leaves. Stretching just along the clearing's edge was a small thread, crossing the ground. "Leaves don't fall in a straight line like that. It isn't, well, natural." "Oh my." Helena wasn't sure what to think. "Is it a mine or something?" She'd had friends die on old WWII mines that were left across Europe. "I don't know, but there's one way to find out. You two stand back. Get behind a tree or something at least thirty feet out." Once they were clear, he removed a small wire and looped it around the trip-wire. He then began to back away, slowly feeding out his wire. After reaching the same distance as the other two, he ducked behind a tree. "You might want to cover your ears." Helena and Bayman quickly complied. "Wow," Snake said softly, "I should come across mines more often, get 'em to listen for a change." He then got a good grip on the wire, cupped his hands over his ears… and pulled. At first, nothing seemed to happen. As he slowly peeked around the tree, he relaxed. The others followed suit. But then Snake smiled and began to laugh out loud. Bayman took his hands off of his ears. "What the hell was that all about. He looked around his tree to see a large net hanging from the branches. "That was it? A stupid net?" Helena was still breathing heavily, "I don't think it's very funny Snake." He stopped laughing but couldn't help from smirking. "You two should have seen the look on your faces, it was priceless. Bayman, I don't think I've ever seen you so scared." "This is ridiculous!" Bayman stormed up to the net and began to slash at it with his knife. "OK knock it off." "Stupid, lousy, stinking… mine huh? I swear I'll…" "Bayman, stop." Snake was suddenly very serious. "Bayman I mean it, stop." "Why the hell should I?" Helena had caught on to what Snake had noticed. "Because," she said, "We're being watched."

Bayman slowly lowered his knife, but Snake noticed that he did not sheath it. He glanced down at his radar and saw three red blips surrounding them, all with red cones centered on the group. Cursing himself for being caught off guard, he slowly rose to his feet. "Helena," he whispered, "is that them" "How should I know?" she shot back. There was a rustle in the trees and they both froze. A voice shouted out something in Japanese. Snake quietly cursed himself again, he forgotten to wear the translator. He was about to ask Bayman what the voice said when Helena said something aloud in Japanese. He decided to just let her do the talking. After another short exchange, she turned to Snake. "He said that we're to go with him, now, but we're to be unarmed. He wants us to put out weapons in a sack." "What sack?" As if in answer to Snakes question, a large bag was tossed into view. "Oh, that sack…" He picked it up and slowly drew his gun, placing it in the sack. Then he tossed it over to Bayman, who looked at it disdainfully. "You just plan to go along with it then?" He sneered at Snake. "I've got a better idea." "Bayman," Snake looked worried, "don't do it. You said yourself that they're dangerous." He was trying to sound calm. "If these are them than we don't want trouble." "They asked for my weapons, they can have them." Bayman retorted sarcastically. "Look," he shouted, "you bastards want my guns, fine! I don't need them." He thrust both guns into the sack, then sheathed his knife and put it in as well. "There!" he shouted again. Again something was shouted in Japanese. Helena began to translate, "He said to-" "I know what he said!" 'Apparently,' Snake thought, 'I'm the only one here who doesn't speak the lingo.' Bayman took off the beret. "Lousy bastards." He mumbled, as he removed a stiletto from inside the brim of his beret and placed it in the sack… and dropped the whole bundle at his feet. "You want it? Come and get it." He repeated himself in Japanese, using the same calm voice. "Damn it Bayman!" Snake tried to keep his voice low. "What the hell are you doing?" For a moment, no one moved. There was some low, hushed conversation in the bushes. "Bayman, I swear to God I'm gonna kill you myself if you don't knock this off." "You don't understand, Mr. Snake. If we just go along willingly, then, Mugen-Tenshin or not, they won't listen to a thing we say. I know these kind of people and strength is the only thing they respect." "You know something," Helena whispered, "you are a Neanderthal!" Bayman only smiled, "Why thank you Helena, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me." Before she had the chance to say anything back, one of the ninja dropped from the trees directly in front of Bayman. Snake held his breath as they stared at each other. The man glanced down at the bag, then reached down to pick it up. Just before he grabbed it, Bayman lunged forward and grappled the man. Snake cursed as two more men burst from the brush. As Helena parried off her attacked, Snake grabbed the third ninja's outstretched arm and threw him overhead into a trunk, knocking him out cold. Bayman had the first one in an arm lock from behind so Snake dove at the bag of weapons, but the ninja grabbed it with his feet and back-flipped over Bayman's head, simultaneously throwing it into the branches and freeing himself. As he passed over Bayman, there was a loud POP and the man landed, grabbing his shoulder. Bayman turned and charged at him, but the ninja was prepared this time. He turned and just before Bayman reached him, he ran up a tree and back-flipped again over Bayman's head. This time, though, he kicked Bayman from behind, right into the tree. Snake leapt to his feet and watched as the ninja landed turned, and shoved his arm back into the socket without flinching. Snaked saw that Bayman was out, muttered a small and meek curse, and dove into the foliage. Meanwhile, Helena was busy holding her own. "These," she said to herself to rhythm her breathing, "are… defi… nately… Mugen… Tenshin." The fighting style of the Ninja reminded her of her fight with Hayate. She kicked low to catch him off guard but he sidestepped her and chopped at the back of her neck. It struck square but she managed to roll forward, lessening the blow. As she rose up, he side kicked into her waiting hands. She hefted his leg, kicked out the opposite knee then kicked his mid-section, letting him fall to the ground, where he stayed. She sighed in relief, but gasped as an arm grabbed her from behind and a knife was pressed to her throat. She realized too late that the ninja Snake knocked out was no longer on the ground…

As Snake rushed through the foliage, he tried to remember the terrain they had come through earlier. Risking a quick glance at his radar, he saw that he was indeed being pursued. His attacker was catching up, fast. Realizing that he was probably out of sight for only a few seconds more, he rolled under an outcropping log and froze. He covered up the small holo-display to douse the light and held his breath. He could hear the ninja pass a few yards from the log and listened as the sounds faded into the forest. He then took another look at his display. There was no one within range.


	6. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

The small fire had long since died. There were a few smoldering embers barely cast a faint glow now, but Kasumi didn't mind. The stars were so pretty that night, though she found that she was longing for a roof overhead and a warm place to sleep. She had been lying awake for some time, wondering why he had sent that message. Could something have happened to the clan? Though she was no longer welcome there, she could not help but worry about her brother. Her thoughts were broken as a low rumble warned her of the encroaching storm. It appeared that she would need shelter tonight after all. After removing any sign of her fire, she decided to head North. There was a large shrine about a mile upriver where she was welcome. The only caretaker would not be there tonight anyway, so she had no worries of being seen. She had not yet reached it, though, when the rain began. Quickening her pace, she saw the shrine on the bank. There was a small dock where the caretaker from down-river would tie up his boat and rising up from the shore were the many steps leading to the shrine. Five at a time she ascended them. At the top, she paused a moment in the front square and bowed briefly. Then she rushed into the building. She paused in the entryway, realizing that she was dripping wet and she did not want to cause more work for the caretaker. Then she smiled as she looked by the step. "Thank you Nanasawa-san," she said quietly, "you're too kind."

After changing into the robes that were left for her, she entered the shrine to pay her respects. There was a small side room that she had been given permission to use if she needed it. As always, she had been hesitant at first to accept any help at all, but Nanasawa had earned Kasumi's trust and had been very kind. Kasumi laid down on the futon and, reluctant or not, took great comfort in the bedding. She did not fall asleep, however. Her thoughts were still dwelling on the short message. "He couldn't have known where I am." She said to herself. Then she smiled, "He must have had that silly bird trained to only deliver to me. Poor thing, coming all the way from Hokkaido." She shivered, as a small draft passed her. Curious, she arose and opened the shoji door, peering into the main shrine. Without a sound, she crossed over to the opposite side and opened another door. There was a small deck overlooking the river. As she peered around. She suddenly became very tense. Though the rain was pouring now, there was a boat at the dock. She spun around, expecting someone to be right behind her. Only the silence and the rain greeted her. Silently again, she crept into the shrine, her left hand reaching for her wakazashi, but it wasn't there. She realized that she left it by her clothes. She waited for what seemed an eternity, not moving, not making a sound, waiting for something, anything. Suddenly there was a flash of lightening and she saw a form lurking in the shadows. As the room lit, she dashed for the door where her clothes were drying, but the other was faster and closer. The dark form rolled forward and snatched up the blade, then sprang upright to face Kasumi, who stopped and readied herself for the attack. "You're slipping Kasumi. A year ago this would have never left your side." She knew that voice! Part of her shouted for joy, but her more wary side prevailed. "I can't go back, Ryu. You know that." "Is that any way to greet a comrade, a friend? I'm not here to kill you, nor to take you back." At this she could no longer hold back, she rushed forward and embraced him, crying. He did not return the embrace, but did not push her away either. "Come now, you're made of harder steel than that." She managed to choke back her tears, but didn't let go. "You don't know what it's like. You can't know. It's been so long, so long, without anyone. No family, no clan, no one I could trust." She let him go and stood back, trying to regain her composure. "I'm sorry, I just had to forget for a moment. I've never stopped hoping that somehow it would change." Ryu almost said something, but decided to let her get it out. "I know better, though. I can't go back. So," she had calmed herself, "why are you here, then?" Ryu looked down at the floor. "I am here only so that nothing happens." Kasumi was confused. "I don't understand." He breathed in deeply. "You must leave this place as soon as possible. The clan knows you're here, but, more importantly, _they_ know as well." Kasumi realized instantly from his emphasis on "they" who he meant. "Our spy reported that they are seeking you out again, though we're not sure why. Naturally, when the information regarding your whereabouts was brought in, Hayate was expected to act on it and send someone to dispatch you." At this point he stopped. Kasumi understood what he meant and what he was willing to sacrifice to keep her safe. If anyone found out that he had not killed her on sight, he could be punished. And the Shinobi only had one punishment. "That is why you came, then? For appearance's sake?" "Yes," he replied, "Hayate knew that anyone else would have followed through and tried to kill you." At this he let slip a small smile, "Not that it would have mattered." He returned to his normal, grim, expression. "Aside from Hayate and I, there is only one other in the clan who knows your whereabouts, the spy, of course. She protested the decision not to send her, but I do not believe she will disobey." "She," Kasumi said thoughtfully, "when was Ayane assigned to spy on DOATEC?" "I'm sorry, Kasumi. I've already said more than I should have. You must leave, tonight. We do not know when they plan to act, but the longer you remain here, the more danger you are in." "Of course," Kasumi said quietly, reaching for her clothes. Ryu hesitated for a moment, wishing things could have been different. "Here," he said, handing her back here blade, "I will wait to see you off." With that, he opened the door and stepped out into the rain.

Though she did not wish for Ryu to leave, Kasumi did not waste any time changing back into her clothes. They were still not dry, but she knew it wouldn't matter, as she would be travelling in the rain anyway. As she finished, she paused and stared at the door. She smiled and spoke softly to herself. "You can't always be there for me. Someday, Ryu-chan, I must prove to you that I no longer need your protection…" the smile faded once more, "no matter what my brother made you promise."

Just as she reached to open the door, there was shouting outside. She could hear Ryu, "I said leave at once! You have no business with this place!" There were gunshots and she bolted away from the door. "Where did he go? – What the Hell? – Who is that-AAGGHHHHH!" This was her chance, she threw open the door and rolled out into the square. There was one body already on the ground and she saw Ryu impale a second. Kasumi saw a third swing his weapon around. "RYU!" She screamed at him. He quickly pulled the body in front of him as bullets ripped from the man's gun. Using their own armor against them, Ryu threw the body at his attacker and leapt overhead, landing squarely behind him. With a quick slash, the man screamed as his arm came cleanly off, then was silenced with Ryu's second strike. Ryu had sheathed his katana before the decapitated body hit the ground. He looked up at Kasumi. "There are more coming. You must run, now." "I am not a child!" She shot back, "I will stand with you here!" He glanced down the steps to the river, where more men were pouring out of a second boat. "I'm sorry Kasumi, but I don't have the time. You're going." He then did what no man had ever managed to do. He grabbed Kasumi and literally swept her off her feet. As he charged inside, she was so surprised that she didn't even think to struggle. He raced across the room with her in his arms until he reached the other side of the temple. Exiting onto the walkway, he looked at the river-bend below. He stared right into her eyes. "Whatever you do, don't look back." Before she could answer, he tossed her over the side, into the water some 30 feet below. As soon as he saw her surface, he turned and started back to the entrance. Six men armed with rifles came bursting through the door. With a quick Shinobi salute, he drew his blade and charged into the room.


	7. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

As soon as the door creaked shut, Bayman opened his eyes a bit. Without moving, he saw the wooden walls and watched as Helena paced back and forth. He smiled, "Excellent." Jumping at his voice, Helena stared at him, "What the…? You just let them carry you in here and you weren't even unconscious? Unbelievable. You are an idiot aren't you?" He simply chuckled as he rose to a seated position. "We're in, aren't we?" His grin fell from his face, "Wait a minute, where's Snake?" She rounded on him again, "He could be dead for all you care! If you'd just kept you're big mouth shut we wouldn't be in this mess." For a short moment, Bayman actually looked stunned. She turned away and took a deep breath. "I don't know where he is, but he's not here." He was about to respond, but decided to leave her alone for the moment. Instead, he rose to his feet and looked around. Knocking on the walls here, scuffing the dirt there, then looking through the small barred window in the door. "Well, it wouldn't be so hard to get free if we wanted to. It seems pretty dark out there, we could probably hide in the woods, but that would get us nowhere." She didn't turn to face him, but retorted, "You don't know the half of it." "Eh?" She leaned against the wall, "I don't know how we got here because I was blindfolded, but we're in a cave. They took it off when we got in so I could see that much." "Ah," he grunted, "that would explain the sound of the waterfall. We're probably behind it. But I don't remember any falls on the map, so I have no idea where we are."

Helena simply slid into the corner and sighed, putting her hand on her forehead, "I don't suppose you'd like to ask them for some aspirin since you like talking so much…" Suddenly, she jumped up, "What was that?" Looking around, Bayman was clearly confused, "What was what?" "There it is again!" She leaned her ear up to the wall. "I think it's outside. There's something beeping." Bayman leaned up to the wall as well. "I don't hear a thing." "It sounds like, I don't know," she stood up straight, "like a phone or something." Bayman smacked his head, "Oh for the love of… it's your Codec. Who's the idiot? Me?" He stared at her blank face, "Well, answer it!" "Oh, of course, the little radios that Mei Ling gave us. Now let's see here…" she raised her hand to respond. As she touched just below her ear, her vision suddenly changed to a small screen with a frequency on it and a video of… "Snake! You're alive, thank God!" "Calm down Helena. Are you alone." He seemed to be a little cramped. "No, but it's only Bayman. Where are you? Are you hurt? Are you-" "Relax, Helena, relax. I'm fine. I followed our friends here when they brought you two in." She went from concerned to curious, "But how did you get in? There are guards and Shinobi all over?" He just smiled, "Trade secrets, I'll tell you later. Right now I need to find you. I couldn't just waltz behind your little party so I lost you trying to stay out of sight. These people are ridiculous. I almost got caught a dozen times at least." "I don't know where we are, Snake, but it's a small wooden building. There can't be very many of those, most of the houses and such are made from shoji." "All right," he was being quiet now, "I have to get moving. Stay there and I'll find you, got it? Oh, and tell Bayman hi when he wakes up." "He's already," she began, "oh, never mind. Be careful." "Aren't I always?" He disappeared and Helena could see normally again. "Well?" Bayman was anxious. "What did he say? Where the hell is he?" "I don't know," she replied quietly, "but he'll be here soon." "Well, he'd better hurry up if he wants to be of any use. I suppose now he'll have to admit I was right." He grinned at the thought. Helena looked at him like he was crazy, "What? Don't be ridiculous, you ruined everything." He didn't stop grinning. "Look, weren't you listening to the ninja in the bushes, when they were mumbling?" he looked out the door again. "They hesitated to show themselves. They were probably going to question us in the woods, then leave. Either that or take us to some stupid outpost. But this way, they had to bring us here so they could keep an eye on us while I, ahem, 'recovered'. This is where we wanted to be and I got us here." As he triumphantly turned back to Helena, he fell quiet. She was asleep.

Snake watched the feet pass by again. He had laid there in the dirt for ten minutes now, watching, waiting. "There," he thought, "that's the hole." He waited for the feet to pass one more time. "One, two, three, now" He rolled sideways from under the house, crossed the alleyway and was under the next building just as someone came around the corner. Stopping just out of sight, he held his breath. After the guard had passed, he began to breath again, albeit quietly. Shifting around for a better look, he could see the small building made of wood. "I hope this one is it." He wondered if they were still even in such a building. His soliton radar had been on the fritz ever since entering the cave, and his codec had stopped working soon after his call to Helena. "Here goes nothing."

Helena opened one eye to Bayman's grumbling. "What is taking them so long? Who do they think we are? Why aren't they coming for us?" "What's wrong Bayman? Not exactly according to plan?" He stalked over to the door and looked out again. "I can't even see a guard. This better not be some kind of joke. If they just put us in some old shack and left us I'm going to-" "You know,' a voice from outside cut him off, "It's a good thing you're such a big mouth or I'd have never found you." Helena jumped to her feet and rushed to the door, "Snake!" "Stand back for a sec, both of you." There was a grating of wood and metal and the door swung open. Slipping inside, Snake closed the door behind him.

Aside the centermost building, Kage waited outside a small dojo. It sounded as if a small battle were raging inside, which was not far from the truth. There was a moment of silence, then the door opened and the same konuichi who had preceded his visit before came marching out of the building, and as before, he positioned himself in the doorway and waited; the night had become rather cold. "You may enter Kage-san." Kage bowed and stepped inside, closing the door behind him, then knelt on the floor. The dojo was small and simply furnished. Hayate was kneeling in front of a small shrine. As far as Kage could tell, there were only two things strange in the room. The first was a name on the shrine, Kasumi's name. The second was a small, two-sided hilt on a wakazashi stand. "You have a question, Kage-san?" "No, sir. I am here to report." Hayate turned to face him. "And yet you look curious, about Ayane-san, neh?" Kage bowed lower, "I did not mean to intrude." Hayate smiled a bit, it was a rare sight these days. "See that?" He motioned to the hilt. "That belonged to the man who raised her. I told her that if she could take it from me, she could keep it." He paused for a moment so Kage could look at it. "She will try again when she returns from her mission. Now then, what have you to report." "Sir, the third member of their party has found his way to the cell." Hayate, leaned his chin into his hand to think. "What route did he use to find them?" Kage shifted nervously. "That's the strange thing. We weren't even sure he'd followed us until he was nearly there." At this he bowed again, expecting to be reprimanded. "Interesting, I'd like to speak to them. What did you say she called him?" "His name means 'Snake', Hayate-sama." "Ah, yes. Either bring them here or make sure they find their way." "Hai, Hayate-sama." Kage bowed again and backed to the door, where he rose and turned to leave. "One more thing, Kage-san." He stopped and turned. Hayate got to his feet and walked to the door so he could speak quietly. "Have something done about that shoulder. Your pride comes second to your ability to serve. Have it taken care of." Kage nodded and left.

"So, the question is, now what?" Snake had rigged a clear wire to the large latch outside so it would appear locked, but he could open it from inside. Helena and Bayman had filled him in and vice-versa, but they were no closer to finding anything out. Bayman, shifted his weight, "I had assumed they would bring us to speak to someone important, but there has been no one. There isn't even a guard on this room." "Not exactly," Snake told him, "but it wouldn't matter if you got out anyway. It's a good three hundred yards to the only exit and there are plenty of people between here and it." "Well," Helena chimed in, "I guess you find a good place to hide and we wait here, then." "Easier said than done, Helena." Snake grimaced, "there are plenty of hiding places all right, but they're being systematically checked. I don't think anyone knows for sure that I'm here, but they sure suspect it. I think the best thing would be-" A loud voice outside cut him off. Someone shouted something in Japanese, Snake had remember to activate the translator this time. "You are to move from the door!" Snake had just moved aside when a face appeared in the small window, while Helena and Bayman moved to the far wall. "You will follow me and not cause trouble, or you will wait here for a week. Understood?" Bayman spoke fastest, "Yes, yes, we understand. No more trouble." "Good." They heard the sound of the lock being removed and Snake waited for the door to open. "One, more thing," the voice continued. "That goes for your friend as well, the sneaky one." If the man outside was amused by their surprise, he didn't show it. "Well," Snake sighed, "that's that."

As Hayate waited, his thoughts drifted. Things should have been different. He knew Ryu could make a good leader after him, but he was not Mugen-Tenshin. And Ayane, she was too brash, too emotional. If only his Kasumi had been more patient. So absorbed was his thought that he did not notice the silhouette just outside the door for several minutes. "Come," he straightened up but remained seated on the small dais. Kage opened the door, and led in the three prisoners, followed by three other Shinobi. Hayate almost smiled, four ninja for three captives. As they were ushered to several spots and told to sit, Hayate eyed Snake, and Snake studied him. 'This one,' thought Hayate, 'will prove interesting.'


	8. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

Christie let the wind blow through her hair as the clouds sped by in the dark. Pulling her head back in, she stood and moved to the chopper's cockpit. "Hey in there, you'd better go silent." The co-pilot was still looking at some instruments. "We're still twenty miles from the target Miss, I don't think we need to…" He stopped as he turned around. She didn't say it again, she just stared at him. "Um, I mean, better safe than sorry, right?" He nervously tried to laugh, then turned back to the front to set the controls. "Thank you." Christie spat, then she went back to her seat. Muttering something about amateurs, she held up a small radio and ordered the other gunships to do likewise. The loud chopping became replaced by a relatively quiet whirring.

After a moment of thought, she adjusted the radio and spoke into it again, asking for "Bravo team." "This is Bravo leader, I read." "Tell me that you're done," Christie coolly ordered. "Mission completed. I repeat, the mission was a success." My God, she thought, they actually did something right. "You have her in custody then?" "Yes, M'am, although he managed to take out over half the team before… did you say 'her'?" For a moment, Christie considered screaming. "Dammit, of course I said 'her', were you successful or not?" "Um, just a moment, sir." She heard the rustling of paper on the other end, then a faint curse. "Sir, we, uh… well… it would appear that we have the wrong target in custody." Now she was getting frustrated, "Wrong target? How many god-forsaken ninja did you find? Wait, never mind. Just send me the bloody report." She switched off her radio in disgust. "I knew I should have gone myself. I hate bureaucrats." 'Forget it,' she thought to herself, 'finish your job, clean up their mess later.' She looked out the side of the craft again, wondering if it was all worth it.

Snake sat back after explaining himself, silently thanking Mei Ling for the translator. Hayate remained silent for several minutes. Partially, he needed to think, but he also liked seeing Snake sweat a little. "I have one question for you Snake-san. Why do you care for the activities of DOATEC? You have said you are not working for your government or even a rival corporation." Snake kept up his poker face, "I have a personal interest in those DOATEC is doing business with. That is enough." Hayate smiled, "Very well, that is your own business." He then went back to his serious demeanor. "But I'm afraid you've made a mistake. Only one of those names on your list mattered, and it will soon no longer exist. As Helena-san and Bayman-san have no doubt already told you, we have all been members in a tournament funded by DOATEC. I believe that explains the reference you found to us." Snake wasn't buying it, "Which name did you mean when you said it will soon no longer exist?" Hayate was determined to show no emotion as he replied. "The first name, Kasumi, belongs to one marked for death. We have our own sources of information in DOATEC. When they discovered her location, we did as well. The one dispatched to deal with her should have found her by now." Helena shifted uncomfortably and Hayate snapped his head to her. "You will remain still." She glared at him for his abruptness. "You have nothing to fear from me, Hayate. My opinions on DOATEC are quite similar to yours now. 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend', wouldn't you agree?" Hayate loosened his gaze, but did not relax, "If one's enemy has given you a friend, how trustworthy can that friend possibly be?" Bayman mocked clearing his throat. "Well, ninja? What do you think about all this? If it does not concern you than we will be on our way." Hayate sat back, turning again to Snake. "You three will remain here tonight as guests. I will answer you in the morning." Just as he was about to stand, there was some shouting outside. Kage gripped the hilt of his sword, but remained behind Hayate and. The shouting escalated. Suddenly the guard came flying, literally, through the door and in marched a young, purple haired girl. As she passed the guard still lying on the floor, she kicked him muttering "Baka". Kage relaxed as Hayate stood up. "Ayane!" He spoke harshly, "I said I was not to be disturbed!" Ayane sighed, then dropped to one knee in a bow. "I have urgent news that could not wait. Apparently your post doubted my judgement." "Apparently," Hayate cut in, "you doubt mine!" He then returned to his seat. "Now then, what is so important that you would act such?" She glanced at the three in audience. "Ignore them." Hayate ordered. "Hayate-sama, they know that we're here." Hayate's eyes narrowed. "And…?" Ayane looked up at him, "They're coming."

Snake was a bit confused, "Who's coming?" Ayane shot him a glare, silently daring him to interrupt again. Hayate ignored it, "How long?" Ayane forced herself to focus on Hayate and answer the question, "They will be here within the hour, but I'm sure we have enough time before-" At that moment there was an explosion somewhere in the cave, the thundering noise amplified by the cavern walls. "What the Hell?" Bayman spat out. Even as he said it, Snake was on his feet and at the door before anyone else could turn around. Throwing it open, he saw a plume of smoke rising from the entrance to the cavern and watched as the opening became buried in rubble. Cursing, he rounded on Hayate, "Is there another way out of here?" Hayate, who had just reached the door, motioned his head to the ceiling, where several holes had previously let in sunlight. "If you're thinking of running, you'll have to go through them." Snake was about to ask who, but then saw what Hayate did. Dozens of soldiers were dropping from the skylights on ripcords, all armed and armored to the teeth. Hayate turned back to Ayane, "I want you to wait for my signal, then sound a regroup." Snake saw that Ayane understood something that he did not. "Hayate-san! You can't! You'll die!" He looked at her like a brother going off to war, "I must, and you will do as I say." He strode over to the wall and removed Ayane's weapon from its mantle. "Here, you may keep it until I see you again, then you may have another chance to prove to me that you are worthy of it." Before the stunned girl could answer, he placed it in her hand. Motioning to Snake and the others, "See that they make it out of here." He brushed her cheek, then dashed out the door. Helena was nervously looking back and forth between the door and Ayane. Gripping the weapon, Ayane looked up at them. "If you fall behind, you will die. Understood? This way." She led them outside where a full scale battle had erupted.

"Damnit!" Christie yelled at the commander, "Tell them to get to the ground as fast a possible and stop trying to shoot from the ropes! They're sitting ducks up there!" Even as she spoke, bodies were falling from the ceiling with tiny metal stars imbedded in their chests. "Just keep them busy!" She ducked into an alleyway and started making her way to the rear of the cavern. Only stopping once or twice to hide or quickly snap a neck, she came closer and closer to her target. Just as the building came into site, Hayate came running out of it. "There you are." She hissed, chasing after him. Almost losing him several times, she pursued him to a small structure against the cave wall. As he disappeared inside, she stopped to hide around a corner. Glancing once more, she saw that there were no windows or other doors. Smiling, she approached the hut, "Gotcha." When she reached the door, she kicked it open and tumbled in, rolling into her serpent stance… and nearly off a ledge. "What the…?" The room opened up into a ravine, seemingly bottomless. She looked along the edge to her left and saw Hayate, who had obviously heard her enter. "Hayate-san, you are to come with me." She didn't believe for a second that he'd simply surrender, and he knew it. "I don't have time for you. If you are going to attack me, do it now. If not, leave." She smiled again and slowly advanced on him, the sounds of the battle outside getting ever closer. Hayate made a motion with his hands, (either a salute or a quick prayer, Christie wasn't sure), then readied himself. After sizing each other up, it was clear he would not strike first. 'Your loss,' Christie thought. She launched into a flurry of blows, like lightning, she struck again and again. Hayate took the defensive, blocking her strikes and sidestepping her jabs. As she pushed him further along the ledge, she failed to notice the small box in the stone alcove…

Ayane soon found that she did not need to baby-sit her companions. Time after time, a soldier would drop from the ceiling or burst around a corner. Each time they were either snapped by Snake, broken by Bayman or beaten down by Helena. Ayane had her fair share to deal with as well. Eventually, they reached a bamboo scaffolding which stretched up the wall. Snake and Bayman held off enemies at the base of the ladder as Ayane led Helena up to the top. Once they reached the first tier, the men dispatched the last soldier in the clearing and ascended as well. On the platform, there was a huge gong in a stone alcove. Ayane had stopped and was surveying the battle. "Well?" Snake asked, "Now where?" Ayane did not turn to face him, "We wait here for the signal." Snake moved in front of her, between her and the edge. "You can wait, we're leaving, now where's the exit?" If not for Hayate's orders, she probably would have pushed him off then and there. Finally giving up, Snake started to look around. Helena pulled him aside. "Snake, she and Hayate are who DOATEC are after. If we leave her here we might as well not have come." Frustrated, Snake just decided to watch for this signal. Moving to Ayane's side, he scanned the cavern. "As soon as you get this signal, just do what you have to then get us out of here."

Despite the welting bruise across her face, Christie was still smiling. She hadn't enjoyed herself this much since the tournament. Hayate was not without his own injuries, but was not slowing down either. She launched herself at him again, but made the mistake of repeating a prior attack, Hayate caught her leg and pulled it aside, striking out with his own. As his foot slammed into her head, she stumbled over the edge. He quickly glanced down after her. She had landed on a lower edge. Getting up, she began to brush herself off. She glared up at him, standing some 40 feet above. He nodded, satisfied. "We will finish this when you reach me again." With that, he turned back to the box, but a nearby explosion rocked the room. Christie had just begun her climb back up and was thrown from the wall, plunging into the darkness. Hayate looked down the ravine once more. He stood straight and offered a ceremonial bow, then returned to his work. Lifting the small box from its resting place revealed five tiny tunnels in the rock, all with trails of black powder running from them. Opening the box, he removed a match and lit the first trail. As the fuse sped into the wall, he removed a pouch and poured more powder into the alcove, effectively connecting the remaining four trails. He lit another match then hesitated for a moment, silently counting. He then dropped the match, lighting the fuse…

Snake was getting nervous, the Mugen Tenshin seemed to be holding their own pretty well, but if any one noticed them up in the scaffolding, they were in for trouble. Suddenly, the cavern was lit up as bright as day as fireworks streaked across the ceiling. While Snake covered his eyes against the light, Ayane dashed to the gong. Bayman thought it odd that there was no hammer. "Would you like me to spit at it?", he said, clearly annoyed. Ayane just ignored him, took a deep breath, and snap-kicked the gong three times. Everyone on the platform had to cover their ears to block out the noise. After the gong had toned down, Ayane yelled to the others, "Get out of the way!" She motioned them aside, then pulled on the gong. As it slid along the well disguised tracks in the floor, she heaved it over the side. Before anyone could ask what she was doing, she grabbed them and pushed them into the newly revealed cavern. Snake tried to bring up the rear, but Ayane just shoved him ahead telling him in no uncertain terms to just run. As the four bolted along the cavern, Ayane grabbed a rock and scraped it along the wall, lighting a trail of powder. They turned a corner and had barely caught site of the entrance when there was a ground shaking explosion. Snake was knocked to the ground but Bayman and Ayane grabbed him up and shoved him back to his feet. Helena reached the entrance first. Pushing the moss curtain out of the way, she stopped to wait for the others. Ayane saw her and yelled to keep going. After tearing from the cave entrance, they made their way to the top of a hill before Ayane let them stop. More explosions were shaking the ground, and Ayane solemnly looked back the way they came. Snake was the only other person on his feet, as Bayman and Helena had sat on some rocks. As he watched, he saw a tear fall from her eye. Not sure what else to do, he simply followed her gaze. The once sporadic explosions were coming faster now, and as Snake watched, an entire section of the forest began to shudder and sink. With a final, terrible blast, acres of forest plummeted into a gaping, fiery crater.


	9. Chapter 8

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CHAPTER 8

The rain had become steadily worse as the river tossed her onto the shore. Gasping for breath, Kasumi shakily got to her feet. After leaning against a tree and catching her breath, she looked upriver. Not realizing how far she had come, she immediately sprinted back along the water. She knew she shouldn't be worried about Ryu, but something in her mind was frantically trying to get back, screaming at her to help. As she raced through the trees, the rain running down her face began to taste of tears, and for the first time, she feared for his life, not knowing why.

Nearly a half-hour had passed when she finally reached the shrine once more. She stopped and listened, praying for a sound, any sound except the pouring rain. But nothing broke the pounding of the downpour. Rushing to the stairs, she froze again. There was still a stream of blood running down the steps. Now gasping for breath, she ascended the stairs cautiously, not sure what to expect. The few shoji screens that remained standing were stained with red, the rest were ripped and splintered. As she entered the shrine, her eyes automatically flickered from patches of blood, to the gashes in the wood, to the bullet-holes and embedded shurikens as she pieced together what had happened. She could almost see Ryu charging across the room, his sword flashing through an attacker, then his kick sending a second through the wall. As she paced about the room, she could hear the gunshots and feel the endless onslaught of bullets. But of Ryu there was no sign, nor any bodies left to speak of how the fight ended. She knew that Ryu wouldn't have moved the bodies of his assailants, which meant… "he ran. He must have run…" Even as Kasumi whispered this she knew it was not true. He would never run, he was to stubborn, too… proud. But if he didn't run, that left only one choice, which was even more unbelievable. "He… they couldn't have…" As frantically as she tried, she couldn't come to any other conclusion. Ryu had lost.

She couldn't keep from sobbing, and thoughts of their last conversation came flooding back to her. Then her tears stopped. She said a short prayer for Ryu, then stood up and faced the door. "They were here for me." Her whisper was quite but strangely cold, as though spoken by someone else. "If I'm the one they want, then they'll get me. I swear to you Ryu-chan, they'll get me, they'll regret it, and then they'll die."

"So, Ayane, right?" She hadn't moved for almost ten minutes, Snake thought maybe she'd gone into shock. "I don't suppose you could fill us in on why DOATEC was so intent on finding you and Hayate?" At first she seemed to be ignoring him, then she turned slowly and glared at Snake. "You will address him as Hayate-_sama_, do you understand?" Not in the mood to argue, and not in the mood to start a fight, Snake corrected himself. "Hayate-sama. I see." Bayman had gone to look for a place nearby where the chopper could land and Helena was resting by a tree. "Do you know what interest they have in Hayate-sama and yourself?" After standing up and brushing herself off, Ayane stepped up to Snake and stared straight into his eyes, as if trying to read his mind. "What business is it of yours?" "Well," Snake shifted a bit uncomfortably, "let's just say I've got some unfinished business with them and your names showed up in the middle of it." A thought dawned on her and she grinned. Snake found this to be scarier than when she was looking angry. "So you're the one. Tell me then," she began to pace back and forth, "why did you break her out? Is she you're 'unfinished business'?" She nodded towards Helena. "No, it wasn't intentional." Helena looked up, "And I'm sure he's regretting it, aren't you." She smiled and dozed off. "Sometimes." He knew that sounded stupid, but the words were already out. "But" turning back to Ayane, "how'd you know about that any- wait, never mind. You must be the spy that Hayate was… Hayate-sama, was talking about." Ayane flipped her hair around, "It seems you were paying attention after all." Then walking up to him again, she began walking her fingers up his shoulder, "I have no idea why they came, I was hoping you could tell me." Snake grimaced, "Stop that." Ayane lifted her hand, acting indignant, "Now is that any way to treat someone who saved your life?" "Somehow," Snake cooly answered, "I got the feeling you wouldn't have bothered if you hadn't been ordered to." "Hmph." She began to stalk off when Bayman returned. "Snake, I've found a spot and called in for an evac." "Good, but we still don't now where to go from here." "Oh?" Ayane chimed, "there were other names on your little list, weren't there?" Now she was acting coy. 'Jeeze', thought Snake, 'how many moods can this girl go through in two minutes?' "If you want," she said as she kicked some stones around, "I know where to find them." "Who asked you for help," Bayman spat, but Snake held his hand up for quiet. "Both of them?" he asked cautiously. "Yes," she answered slyly, "but if you don't mind, we can start with Kasumi?"


End file.
